TexMessage: Former law professor praises Ted Cruz as “smartest” student at Harvard

Although Sen. Ted Cruz has openly criticized his alma mater in the past, the Harvard law school graduate has at least one fan among the faculty.

Former Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz recently told The Daily Caller the Texas senator was among his “smartest” students.

“He had brilliant insights and he was clearly among the top students, as revealed by his class responses,” Dershowitz told The Caller.

Dershowitz said as a student at Harvard, Cruz seemed to emit more of a Libertarian view than a social conservative.

“His movement towards social conservatism has surprised me a little bit,” he said, adding but “people will change and perhaps when you are at Harvard Law School you are less likely to espouse a socially conservative point of view.”

Though a former professor remembers Cruz fondly, the freshman senator has said bitter remarks about the school in the past. Earlier this year, reports spread of past campaign speeches Cruz made condemning many of the school’s faculty as communists.

Dershowitz told The Caller he often debated Cruz in class, who shot back well formed arguments. Though he felt confident Cruz would make a fine Republican presidential contender, he doesn’t think he’ll run in 2016.

“I don’t think he’ll get the nomination when you think about Rubio and posturing himself a little more to the center on immigration,” Dershowitz said, adding he thinks Cruz will “establish himself first before he ran.”

? Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Brian C. Deese to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget at 3 p.m.

Tomorrow and beyond:

? May 14 The Senate Armed Services Committee has a close hearing on Syria.